Torch-lit Baths attract record crowds

Torchlit Summer Evenings at the Roman Baths attracted record visitor numbers this year. There were more than 40,000 evening visitors during July and August, up from just under 33,000 in 2015 and 29,000 in 2014.

Each summer, the Roman Baths stays open until 10pm every evening in July and August, offering visitors the chance to beat the crowds and soak up the special atmosphere around the torchlit Great Bath. Due to its popularity, evening opening will be extended in summer 2017, starting from Saturday 17 June and running until the end of August.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones (Conservative, Lansdown), Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “We are delighted with the success of Torchlit Summer Evenings. Late opening at the Roman Baths contributes to Bath’s evening economy, as well as encouraging overnight stays in the city, and reducing crowding during the daytime. This year, more than 3,000 local residents used their Discovery Cards to visit the Roman Baths for free in July and August.”

Visitor comments on Tripadvisor included:

“Beautiful, atmospheric and memorable.”

“…absolutely stunning as the baths is torch-lit in the evening. This was such an interesting place, an absolute must if you’re visiting Bath!”

“The baths look even more fantastic when illuminated by torchlight.”

“Visiting at around 7pm on an August evening was a refreshingly wonderful experience. No queue, few crowds outside and this firm favourite has kept its place in our regular ‘tourist’ visit list.”

“It was one of the best places that I have ever visited. Everything is perfect and you will have an unforgettable experience being there. The best moment was the torch-lit time – absolutely amazing.”

The Roman Baths is now accessible to a wider range of visitors than ever before. New lifts and changes to the building have resulted in better access for disabled visitors, and staff are trained and experienced in helping those with special needs such as autistic visitors. There are special audioguides for visually impaired visitors and British Sign Language users, and four new audioguide languages have been introduced – Dutch, Korean, Polish and Portuguese – bringing the total number of audioguide languages to 12.